I was born May 26, 1971 ( 9 Ben, Kin 113, 12.17.17.14.15 ) in Port Arthur, Texas.
This industrial coastal city lays down on the flat grassland bayou of South-East Texas; a stone throw from the Gulf of Mexico and the state of Louisiana.
I started playing the drums at the early age of 5, or sooner if you count pots and pans with chopsticks.
My parents gave me my first drumset, a blue CB700 kit, as my gift for my 5th birthday.
A self taught musician, I then picked up the piano, percussion, acoustic guitar, and mandolin, all before I even knew the "rules" or "theory" of music.
My "ear" was there since childhood, growing up with vinyl L.P. records of the greats...Elvis, Beatles, Led Zepplin, U2, etc.... and all the live blues, rock, cajun-zydeco, country music one could possibly hear, throughout Port Arthur, Texas', Hwy. 87, the Ol' Orange Highway bar scene, which was walking distance from my childhood home.
This is where I first heard The Boogie Kings, Jerry LaCroix, "Uncle" John Turner, Edgar Winter, Carmen Appice, Jivin' Gene, G.G.Shinn, Johhny Piggett and many, many more.

I also had a few influential musicians in my neighborhood such as Wayne Vice and all of his brothers...a very musical family.
Darren Smith and Marcus Breaux, no relation, though I'm sure we are kin somehow...my two childhood friends...my first bandmates.

During my teen years, I played in many bands; The 4 Guys, Allister's Gang, Sub-Station Zero.
I also drummed in high school during my Junior year for the Port Neches - Groves Indian Singers, a showband / jazz ensemble.
As a Senior in hgh school, in preparation for college, I took private music theory lessons with many different Music Professors at Lamar University in Beaumont.

Upon graduation from Port Neches-Groves High School (1989), at the tender age of 17, I traveld to Denton, Texas, north of Dallas, to attend the prestiges University of North Texas, College of Music, to study Music Theory.
After studying for 4 years, I chose to leave, as a senior, knowing that I now had the tools that I had longed for prior to studying Music Theory.

I then hit the road traveling and playing with original / cover country & western bands, since it payed well.
After being burned out on the C&W music scene, I then packed my bags to return home to Port Arthur, at the age of 21, to form and work with an alternative rock band.

In early 1993, Nog Pon Jami (NPJ), would perform their first concert ever, at Port Arthur's own,
Janis Joplin's Birthday Bash Concert.
From here, Nog Pon Jami went on to enjoy 5 years of regional success releasing 3 recordings that were all self-prodcued and self-recorded by Nog Pon Jami in our own recording studio on Proctor Street in downton Port Arthur.
I enjoyed doing a lot of the recording and engineering as well which eventually turned into a major part of my life for those years.

It was 1996 that 3 of the 5 members of Nog Pon Jami chose to give it a shot out in Austin, Texas.
Upon arrival to this great town, I started to work with many other artists in the "Live Music Capital".

Today, I have continued to work with many different Artists based here in Austin, Texas, where I have lived ever since July 4, 1996.

I am sure that I will be performing In Concert some time in the near future!